Abstract
This chapter will explore the outpouring of media coverage following the deaths of Hindley in 2002 and Brady in 2017. The death of a celebrity has become an archetypal mediatised event. This has been particularly the case since the death of Diana in 1997. There is a clear template for reporting such events, including celebrity tributes and public displays of devotion by fans. The celebrity’s career is analysed and placed in some sort of cultural context. Their significance and potential lasting influence are evaluated. Key events in their lives are retold, key influences interviewed. The funeral is covered in hushed reverential tones. The deaths of Hindley and Brady represent a darker version of this model. There were public outpourings of hate and vitriol. Their funerals were held in secret for fear of public reaction.
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Cummins, I., Foley, M., King, M. (2019). ‘… One of the Moors Murderers Has Died’. In: Serial Killers and the Media. Palgrave Studies in Crime, Media and Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04876-1_8
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